


Lose Your Sanity, Save A Brother

by jusst_peachiie



Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Angst, Blood and Violence, Brutal Murder, Crying, Emotional Manipulation, Family, Family Issues, Fights, Gen, Heavy Angst, Insane Technoblade (Video Blogging RPF), Kidnapping, Mild Gore, Non-Consensual Drug Use, Obsessive Behavior, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Alternating, POV Third Person, President Toby Smith | Tubbo, Tags Contain Spoilers, Temporary Character Death, Unreliable Narrator, Villain Alexis | Quackity, just when techno describes how tommy is safe with him, like a lot, no happy ending, only a bit
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-27
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-09 17:41:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 13,296
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27720185
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jusst_peachiie/pseuds/jusst_peachiie
Summary: As the oldest, Techno thought of himself as responsible for his two younger brothers. He'd always been protective of the two, and always blamed himself if they got hurt. After the events of November 16th, he feels guilty in some way for Wilbur's death. Having only one brother left, he makes sure no one can hurt him ever again.Or,Technoblade, being obsessed with Tommy, obsessed with fixing their family, tries to mend their relationship in a very, very wrong way.
Relationships: Alexis | Quackity & Toby Smith | Tubbo, Dave | Technoblade & TommyInnit, Toby Smith | Tubbo & TommyInnit
Comments: 102
Kudos: 790





	1. A Mad Man's Monologue

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [another prompt about tommy being kidnapped by an insane overprotective brother](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27703459) by Anonymous. 



> u can skip the first chapter if you want, its not necessarily needed to understand the story!
> 
> NONE of their interactions are to be read as romantic!! This is all platonic/familial interactions!!!
> 
> Techno is very obsessive and out of character in this story, so warning for obsessive behavior!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Techno breaks after the events of November 16th.

Techno, as the oldest, thought the responsibility of protecting his brothers fell upon him. He's always been protective of them, always made sure they were safe. That's how it's always been, Techno keeping his younger brothers out of harm. Even as kids, they were like that. He remembers, whenever they were scared or sad, they'd go to Techno. They'd hide in his cloak and hug him, sobbing softly. He'd care for them, he'd protect them. 

He knew he'd failed as soon as he saw the explosions. He was just about to spawn in the withers, just about to give his speech--and then the land was gone. Everyone knew who was behind it, and if the bombs hadn't killed Wilbur, surely someone would do it themselves. He knew his brother was gone that night, now both mentally and physically.

After the events of November 16th, he felt beyond guilty for what happened to Wilbur. _The one time I don't know where he is, the one time I'm distracted with something else, _he thought. He knew he could've saved him. Maybe if he'd kept a closer eye on him, maybe if he didn't let Wilbur loose it, maybe, just maybe--Wil would still be here and things would be a little easier.__

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He only had one brother left, the youngest of the three. He'd sworn, multiple times, to keep the both of them safe, and he'd failed with Wilbur. He wasn't going to fail again, he wasn't going to make the same mistakes with Tommy. He'd protect him, and care for him, and hide him in his cloak, just like when they were kids. He wanted to go back. To when life was easy and simple, when Tommy still smiled when he saw his older brother, when Wilbur was still alive. His family, his broken, falling apart family, wasn't going to hurt anymore. He would make sure of it. 

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He knew that nobody was on Tommy's side, he was the only one who truly cared for him. So many people have wronged him, betrayed him, the poor boy didn't deserve it. He needed to save him, New L'manberg wasn't safe. 

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Knowing what he had to do, he began to plan. He was glad he was the intelligent one of the three brothers, otherwise he thought he wouldn't be able to plan correctly. He thought of every possible outcome, and what to do next. He obsessed over this plan for a week. Over this time span, his only ever-lasting thought was, _I have to protect Tommy. ___

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**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry it's short, i just didnt want to jump into the plot right away yknow? so its kinda just like a look into techno's brain and how the 16th affected him  
> planning on having like 4-5ish chapters? idk, i might have more, i really like this concept  
> like a lot


	2. To Save A Brother

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Techno puts his plan of 'saving' his brother into action.

He's had it all meticulously planned out in his head, how he'd save Tommy and bring him back to his secret base, one only he knew about. Now, it was time to put his plan into action. He'd sent Tommy a letter, telling him to meet up just outside of New L'manberg that night. It was now up to the youngest--no, younger, there were only two of them now--if he would arrive or not. 

He anxiously awaited Tommy's arrival, checking his satchel multiple times for the items he needed. He only had one shot at this, if he fucked up somehow, he'd lose Tommy forever. _It'll be fine, you've gone over this a thousand times before, _he reassured himself, messing with the material of his cloak. He looked behind him, making sure his horse was still tied up. He didn't think he was ever this nervous before, and it scared him a little.__

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Just as he was about to convince himself that _no, Tommy wasn't coming, he hates you so much _\--his brother came into view. "Hey, Techno," he said, giving him a tight smile. He would never admit how it hurt when he didn't call him any nickname, how he didn't call him 'The Blade' like when they were kids.__

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"Tommy... I was starting to think you wouldn't come," he started, "Look, I'm just gonna say it--I want to apologize, for everything." He sees Tommy's eyes widen in surprise. _Is it really so unlike me to admit I was wrong? _He thought.__

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"I know I hurt you," _lies, _"and I want to make up for it, I want us to just be brothers again--like when we were kids! God, I wanna go back to when we were kids. I want us to be family again, and... I feel like that's what Wil would've wanted too," he said, Tommy looking down at that, "I know it won't go back to normal right away, but I want to try."__

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After a moment of silence, terrifying, suspenseful silence, Tommy agreed, "Yeah... That is what Wil would've wanted, innit?" He was still staring at the ground, hands in his pockets. Techno heard a quiet _sniff, _realizing his younger brother was crying.__

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"Tommy?" 

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"Yeah?" His voice cracked, and he looked up at Techno, his teary eyes shining in the moonlight. 

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"Oh my god--c'mere," he said, holding out his arms, and the other hesitantly accepted, beginning to quietly, almost silently, sob. It was so quiet, Techno wondered how many times he'd felt the need to be quiet while crying so no one would find him. "Tommy... Shh, shhshhshh," he gently stroked his hair, trying to calm the boy. "You poor thing, you're just a kid... You shouldn't have to go through all of this. So many have hurt you, Toms," he slowly reached into his satchel, pulling out a syringe. "So many... You need to be protected, Tommy. And I'll make sure no one hurts you ever again," he could feel his brother was about to pull away so he quickly stuck the needle in him, injecting him with the fluids inside. 

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Tommy, now fully pulled away, stared at his brother in disbelief, his vision starting to blur. He felt his breath become uneven and his legs give out under him. He fell into Techno's arms, the last place he wanted to be right now, looking up at him with hurt in his eyes. "T...Techno..?" He muttered, feeling weak and tired. 

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"Shh, you're gonna be okay, Toms. Don't fight it," he whispered, holding his weakened, vulnerable brother in his hands. 

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"Wh... Why did you...?" 

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"Shh... Stop fighting, just sleep..." he whispered once again, and Tommy eventually stopped struggling to stay awake, the sleeping drugs overtaking him. Techno tied his hands together, mainly just for the ride back so he could hold onto him without falling off the horse. He untied his horse, bringing it over to where Tommy was peacefully laying. After a bit of struggling, he got the both of them on the horse, and was able to bring his little brother _home. ___

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	3. How NOT To Escape From A Pig

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy wakes up in an unfamiliar location, with a once-familiar brother.

Tommy woke up in a dark room on a soft bed. As his current situation registered in his brain, he panicked, and began to shout for help. He swiftly jumped out of bed, trying to search the room for a way out. _Where the hell's the--found it! _He flicked on the light switch, silently wincing as his eyes adjusted to the light.__

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The room was surprisingly.. nice. He had a soft bed and comfy pillows, a dark, wooden dresser up against the wall, accompanied with a wooden desk of the same color. His walls were a fresh baby blue, and there were even a few paintings on the wall. As he was looking around the room, it clicked: this was similar to his childhood bedroom, without all of the toys and crude drawings on the walls. He also noticed a lack of windows, was he perhaps underground? 

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There was only one exit, from what Tommy could tell. A single spruce door--he felt so relieved when he saw it wasn't made of iron. Still stood in the middle of the room, he was about to approach the door, when it opened. 

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That only caused Tommy to panic even more. The only person he did not want to see right now was on the other side. Seriously, even Dream could be on the other side and he'd be ecstatic. But no, there stood Technoblade. Pink-haired, extremely strong, and overall _entirely insane _Technoblade. "You're awake!" He smiled.__

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"Techno... Why are you doing this? Let me go, please," Tommy pleaded, his eyes becoming watery and glossy. 

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"Doing what, being a good brother? Keeping you out of harm?" Techno said, "I'm doing this for your benefit, Toms." He gently grabbed his baby brother's face and kissed the top of his head before pulling him into a hug. Tommy was stunned into silence, he couldn't believe it. First Wilbur had gone mad, wanting to blow up an entire nation, and now he's lost Techno too? It just wasn't fair. 

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"Are you hungry, do you want some food? I have a farm down here, we never have to leave," Techno smiled. His only response was shaking his head, unable to form words at the moment. 

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Techno hummed happily, proud of himself for succeeding in 'protecting' his little brother. "Y'know, I really did do you a favor, Toms. They would've all left you eventually, if they didn't already. I'll never leave you, I'll never hurt you like they did," he said, knowing his brother was upset. "You're safe here, nothing can hurt you." 

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Building up courage, Tommy fought back tears as he pushed himself away from his older brother, who looked disappointed. "Fuck you, Technoblade," he said, then made a run for the door. 

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On the other side was a large, circle-shaped room made out of stone, further confirming his suspicions that he was underground. It seemed to be the center of the base with different rooms around the perimeter. _How do I get out, though?_

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__Scanning the room, he saw another spruce door and ran through it, not having a lot of time before Techno would get him. He could hear his older brother behind him which only made him run faster._ _

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Entering another room, he saw a ladder at the end of it. Relief washed over him as he pushed himself to run even faster, his legs throbbing and his heart pounding. 

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This was it, he was going to escape, he was going to get away. He didn't know how he'd find L'Manberg again, especially without the Human GPS himself, but he'd figure something out. 

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He had almost reached the ladder when Techno jumped at him from behind, successfully tackling and capturing him once again. Tommy immediately began to struggle, thrashing around, trying his best to escape. He was right there. The escape was _right there! _He was so close!__

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As Tommy struggled, the older brother barely even loosed his grip on the boy. He shushed him, trying to get him to calm down so he could take him back to his room. "Shh, it's over Toms. Stop it," he whispered. 

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Tommy, knowing he wasn't getting out of his grasp, stopped struggling, realizing the drugs were still partially in his system. He felt a sudden wave of exhaustion, the adrenaline wearing off. He was close--so _goddamn close _\--and still lost. He took out his sheer anger on the only thing he could, his brother. He wasn't hurting Techno, he knew he wasn't, but he didn't care. Tommy weakly swung at his chest, angry tears building up.__

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He didn't care about showing vulnerability anymore, he let his angry tears fall without hesitation. He hated how Techno would shush him and stroke his hair and comfort him, but he needed to cry, and as much as he despised it, he desperately needed the comfort. And Techno was the only one around to give it to him. 

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After only a few hits to his brother's chest, he felt too tired and too bothered to lift his fists anymore. Instead he opted for sobbing into Techno's shirt, the only thing he _could _sob into.__

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"Shh, Toms. Just sleep, I can tell how tired you are..." Techno whispered, continuing to shush and comfort his younger brother. "Shh, just sleep, it's okay..." 

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Tommy eventually sobbed himself to sleep in his older brother's arms, the last place he wanted to be. Techno smiled, remembering all the times when they were kids. How his younger brother would fall asleep next to him, or sometimes wrapped in his cloak like a blanket. This was the first time in so many years that he'd fallen asleep on him, let alone how long it had been since he'd seen him cry. 

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Techno sat there as long as he could before carrying Tommy back to his room. After gently placing him back in his bed, he muttered, "I didn't wanna do this, Toms, but you really leave me no choice... I didn't think you would try and leave me so quickly... It hurts, y'know, after everything I've sacrificed for you." He knew his brother was deep in sleep and couldn't hear him, but he didn't really care. 

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He spent the time that Tommy was asleep to further secure his base, adding iron doors and even more twists and turns, just in case Tommy got out again. He laughed to himself, knowing that his younger brother thought that ladder was the escape. _Did he really think I'd make it that easy for him? After all I've gone through, just to bring him here?_

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No, Techno would never make it that easy, and he previously thought his brother knew that. _Maybe he thinks going insane renders you a fool, _he thought, laughing aloud.__

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While Tommy was oh-so far from actually escaping, Techno didn't really trust him enough to let him outside of his little bedroom. _Maybe, in the future, but not now. He doesn't understand that he's safe here, that I saved him. _"Oh, Tommy.. Naive, little Tommy," he said aloud, chuckling. "It's okay. He'll understand soon..." He muttered to himself, placing the last iron door.__

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___"He'll understand," he repeated, and he didn't really know if he believed himself or not._ _ _

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	4. On My Way

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On one side of the world, the rest of the SMP realizes Technoblade was the reason for Tommy's disappearance. On the other side, a pig comforts his brother.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> platonic!!! i cannot stress this enough, its all platonic interactions!!!
> 
> warning for some manipulative talk

No one had seen Tommy in three days. The entire SMP seemed to be on edge, knowing any second they could receive a message that he had died. The first two days, they patiently awaited his return--some didn't even notice he was gone. This is _Tommy _they were talking about, he was probably just out building another 'intimidating' tower or more railroads and just lost track of how long he'd been away. It wasn't uncommon for people on the SMP to disappear for a day or two. He'd be back, they told themselves.__

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On the third day was when the people of the SMP became increasingly aware of the situation. Tommy was gone--whether he'd left willingly or not--and they needed to find him. 

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"Tubbo," Dream called out, successfully gaining the other's attention, "any sign of Tommy?" 

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At that, he shook his head, "No... I'm really getting worried, Dream. No one's seen him in what, three days now? I mean, where could he have gone?" It was easy to see the boy was distraught over his best friend's disappearance. The growing bags under his eyes and the nervous nail-biting were clear signs of that. 

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"I mean, out of all people, he'd tell you. Can you remember anywhere he told you he'd be going--" another shaken head, "--or anyone he said he'd be with?" At that question, Tubbo's eyes widened. 

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"Shit," he cursed quietly, "how the hell did I not see this earlier?" His eyebrows furrowed, and it didn't take a genius to spot the guilt ridden on his face.

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"What? What is it?" 

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"I completely forgot--Tommy told me he was going to see Technoblade three days ago." How could he forget? At the time, he thought nothing of it, when Tommy told him he'd be meeting up with Technoblade. Sure, he was a wanted man, but he was still Tommy's brother--now, his only alive one. He didn't really blame him for going to see him, to maybe even make amends. 

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"You don't think he..?" Dream trailed off, the question lingering in the air. _'You don't think he took Tommy, do you?' ___

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"I wouldn't exactly put it past him," Tubbo said, shivering a little at just the thought of the bloodthirsty warrior. He found it pathetic he was scared of him, but then remembered the bright, colorful sparks of fireworks, and thought that justified his fear enough. "...Alright, we need to tell everyone. Dream could you please gather them all up?" The man nodded, running off in the direction of L'Manberg. 

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Tubbo didn't exactly know why Dream, of all people, was worried about Tommy. _Is he really worried about him, or is it his whereabouts and what he's doing? _He thought. Maybe he was worried that Tommy had run off with Techno to defeat him and get his discs back. It was very unlikely, Tubbo knew how much the other boy hated Techno. Or maybe Dream really did care about Tommy, and the complications of war, well, complicated things. He didn't really know what Dream thought.__

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He stepped up onto the stage, Quackity to his left and Fundy to his right. In the crowd was practically everyone in the SMP, except for a few people that Dream couldn't get a hold of. And there was one face everyone knew was missing, with blonde hair and bright blue eyes. 

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"Hello, everyone," Tubbo spoke, "I've called you all here today to discuss Tommy. I'm sure you all know by now that he disappeared, three days ago."

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"Well, we've come to the conclusion that Technoblade is, in fact, involved. Whether Tommy left willingly or not, we don't know yet. But I ask of you all that you join us in searching for him," he said, "I also must remind you that Technoblade is a wanted man, now more than ever. If you do spot him or stumble upon any indications or information of where he is, report back to Quackity immediately. Do _not _go after him, he's extremely dangerous." As he mentioned his vice president, he gestured in his direction with an open hand.__

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"That is all for today, thank you for coming." Tubbo rushed out the end of his announcement, quickly getting off of the stage. He hated giving speeches and public speaking in general, it always reminded him of the speech he gave during the Festival. 

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As he glanced back at the crowd, he saw everyone talking amongst themselves, search groups in the midst of being formed. And in the distance, he saw a man in a green hoodie already running off on a horse. 

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Dream wanted to be the one to find Tommy. If he really was kidnapped, then he'd forever be grateful for it and owe him a favor, a big one. And if he willingly left, he would be able to catch him off guard and kill him. 

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And as Dream rode off on his horse, somewhere far, far away, Tommy woke up. 

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As he shot up in bed, his eyes were met with an iron door--a terrible reminder of the situation he'd gotten himself into. His vision was blurred with tears, but the constant reminder stood tall that he was trapped, with no possible way of escaping. 

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Escaping. He needed to do so, and badly. Tommy missed L'Manberg, he missed his friends, he missed his _Tubbo _.__

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As his mind circled back to his best friend, he painfully remembered the nightmare he had, the same nightmare he'd been having for a while now. 

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It was the 16th again, and the explosives gave off when they were supposed to. He'd devastatingly sit and watch as the podium exploded with Tubbo on it. And beforehand, the boy had seemed so happy. So grateful to receive the position as president, so ready to change his nation for the better. 

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As his best friend was killed right in front of him, Wilbur--no, wait. It was Technoblade this time. Usually, Wilbur would shout at him, yelling that he could've saved him if only he had tried. But not this time. No, it was Techno who stood in his brother's place, and he still told Tommy he could've saved his friend--but, in his own way. He wasn't loud and angry like Wilbur, but instead calm and collected, a sly smirk on his face. 

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Tommy wanted to do anything else but remember the nightmare. He glanced around the room, trying to catch his eyes on anything to steer his thoughts in a completely different direction. But he couldn't help it as a sob shook his slim frame, a quick hand clasping over his mouth. 

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Tommy hated how much he'd been crying lately. It showed how weak he truly was, how easy it really was to break him. He tried to stop, wiping away his tears, but they were immediately replaced with new ones. After many, many failed attempts, he decides to let himself cry. Just this once. 

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It was weird, at first, hearing himself sob at anything above a whisper. When Tommy was loud, he was also confident, and unbreakable, and whether it was because he was going off at someone or bursting out laughing, he was _happy _. This time, however, as he slowly let himself go, slowly letting his sobs unfurl and echo in his almost-empty room, he wasn't loud like how he usually was. He was loud and broken, loud and vulnerable, loud and so, so tired.__

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He stopped short when he heard the familiar _click _of a door handle. The iron door crept open, warm light pouring into the room. "Tommy...? What's wrong, bubba?" Techno peeked his head in before stepping into the room and shutting the door behind him. Tommy wondered if it locked, or if he could make a run for it right now.__

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Tommy hesitated, his eyes now focused on the wooden floorboards, wondering if he should tell him or not. Surely, he couldn't say nothing--he'd been walked in on with tears streaming down his face. He figured he'd tell the truth, unsure of what Techno would do if he lied. "N-Nightmare," he muttered, able to stop sobbing completely, without a second thought, something he had to learn way back during the first war for L'Manberg. 

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He felt the bed dip with new weight, and looked at Technoblade with sad eyes, who was now sat next to him. Techno gently cupped the boy's face, wiping away stray tears with the rough pads of his thumbs. "Oh Toms..." He muttered, placing a soft kiss on the top of his head, "You poor thing." He pulled him into a hug, his chin resting on the top of the other's head. Tommy let him but didn't return the gesture. 

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Tommy teared up again, mainly for a different reason than before: he hadn't received love like this in so, so long. He balled his hands up into fists, now shy to start crying again in front of someone instead of alone. 

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Techno noticed this, however, and coaxed him, saying, "Don't hold it all in, Toms, that's not healthy. It's okay, it's okay to cry. You're alright, the nightmare is over." 

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"That's--" he sniffled, "That's not what I'm cryin' about." 

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"Then why are you crying?" 

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"I just--" he felt so stupid saying this aloud, "I haven't--No one's really... treated me like this in a while. With all this love and stuff." He felt his brother hug him tighter. 

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"...See, Tommy? They haven't cared in a while, from what you're saying. I'm the only one willing to comfort you, I'm the only one who loves you anymore," Techno murmured, stroking his brother's hair, "But it's alright, because I'll make up for all of it, okay?" He felt Tommy nod. 

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"I'll make up for all the times they hurt you," he said softly. They stayed like that for a while, with Techno holding onto his brother while Tommy gave nothing in return. The boy wondered why Techno would say something like that, because he's hurt him too. Did he forget? Could he possibly forget the bright fireworks that killed Tubbo? Or the fighting pit not too long after? Or the withers he set on him, how he told him to go ahead and _die?_

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"I'm gonna go make you some food, 'kay?" Techno murmured, starting to pull away. 

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Tommy nodded, "Yeah, yeah--okay." His stomach quietly growled at the sheer mention of food, and he suddenly became aware of how hungry he was, since he hadn't eaten anything in days. His older brother got up off the bed and exited the room, using a small key he pulled out of presumably a pocket. _So the door does automatically lock. Well, what the hell am I supposed to do with that information?_

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Tommy was left alone with his thoughts while the other cooked something up. How was he supposed to escape? The door automatically locked whenever it was shut, and while Tommy might be able to ask for a hug and snatch the key, Techno would surely get a hold of him before he even got out the door. And--even if he'd managed to escape his room, how would he escape the utter _labyrinth _outside of it? Techno would just catch him again, and again, and again until he gave up.__

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Unless... He could earn Technoblade's trust. And then maybe--just maybe, he'd let him outside of his room. Then he could figure out a way out without the anxiety and stress of a warrior gone insane chasing him down. 

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Yes! That was it, that was how he'd escape! He still had to figure out details and backup plans, but Tommy was just happy to have a bit of hope to escape.

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The sound of the iron door unlocking then opening pulled him from his thoughts. Techno entered with a warm bowl of potato soup in his hands. He silently handed it to Tommy, who held the warm dish in his lap. 

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"...Like Phil used to make, when we were kids," Tommy commented quietly, staring down at the bowl in his hands. 

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"Yup, exact recipe." 

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"How do I know it's not--" 

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"--Drugged?" Technoblade interrupts, "I have no reason to drug you, Toms. What could I possibly get out of it?" He crossed his arms, shrugging.

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"What if it's--"

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"It's not poisoned either. Do you really think I'd go through all this trouble just to bring you here and kill you?" He sits on the bed, in front of the other, "I would never hurt you Toms. I'm the only one who wouldn't even _think _of laying a hand on you."__

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Tommy was still wary of the food in front of him, so Techno decided to gently take the bowl from his hands, murmuring, "C'mon, bubba, you need to eat. I promise I didn't put anything in it, okay?" He took a spoonful of the soup, lifting it to Tommy's mouth, and he hesitantly opens it. 

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"I can feed myself Techno," he crosses his arms after swallowing the food. 

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"But you weren't." Another spoonful. 

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"Well I can now."

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"Tommy--" Techno sighs, "Let me take care of you." An annoyed tone was clear in his voice. Tommy stopped, afraid of what this new insane Technoblade did when angry. 

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He hated being babied. The audacity someone had to treat him like an infant--he'd fought in wars, he'd seen some shit, he was about as mature as any adult on the SMP, no matter if he was young or not. But, the food was delicious. Or maybe he only thought that because he hasn't eaten in days, or maybe it was both.

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It tasted exactly like it did years ago, and reminded him so much of home. Not L'Manberg, no, his childhood home. The cabin at the top of the hill, just on the outskirts of the village. It reminded him of a young, single-dad Phil, and even younger Wilbur and Techno. It reminded him of the sweet smell of cooking--the one that was so distinctly _home _\--as Wilbur helped their dad in the kitchen, and Techno would read to him. It reminded him of such a happier time.__

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"Wow, I didn't expect you to finish so quick. Want me to go grab you some more?" Techno glanced at the empty bowl, and the other gingerly nodded. "Alright, I'll be right back," he ruffled Tommy's hair, leaving the room once again.

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This time, Techno was only gone for less than a minute before he came back in with another full bowl. _So the kitchen has to be close, then, _Tommy thought, trying to imagine the layout of this underground nightmare.__

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"Here you go," Techno smiled, sitting on the bed once more and lifting a spoonful of food to Tommy's mouth. _Again? _The boy internally groaned, pushing down the scowl he so badly wanted to display.__

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He let Techno baby him for the time being, no matter how much he hated it. _Just do what he wants, then he might let you outside this room, _Tommy told himself. He just had to earn the trust of an insane warrior, one who didn't trust anyone else on the entire SMP.__

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Couldn't be that hard, right?

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**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i cant wait to write what comes next, i hope yall will like it!!


	5. Down the Rabbit Hole

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's been a week, and Dream stumbles upon something. Or rather, someone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> writing consistently?! in _this _economy?!__

"Techno," Tommy called, easily stopping the other just as he was about to leave. Frankly, Tommy was quite sick of this room. Everyday - (or night, it was hard to tell time when you were stuck underground) - he had to stare at the same pale blue walls, he had to busy himself with counting the same floorboards, over and over and over again. He'd already memorized how many there were - 248 thin boards.

"Yes, Toms?" Techno responded.

"What the Nether do you do when you're gone?" Tommy asked, and it was a justified question. He couldn't possibly think what the man could be doing, he didn't think Techno was going above ground. Surely, that could only give him so many things to do, so what had happened a while ago - Tommy wished he knew how many days - when Technoblade just disappeared, for far longer than he'd been away before?

"That's not that important," Techno insisted, turning to the door again. "Bye-bye, bubs, I'll be back soo--"

"I want to get out of here. Out of this room, I mean," Tommy said, his voice projecting more courage than he had. Deep down, he was terrified to anger the man in front of him. Ever since a long, long time ago - how long ago was that? Surely a couple of days, at the very least - when he told himself _you have to play along,_ he had yet to see an insane, angry Technoblade.

"...Oh," is all Techno said at first, his back still towards Tommy. "I knew you were gonna ask, at some point."

"I haven't been acting up or anything," Tommy reminded him, "It's just - it gets exhausting, seeing the same room all day over and over." Tommy finds himself almost saying something along the lines of _and if you let me wander around the base, I can come find you whenever I want._ He decides against it, not wanting to play that card just yet.

Techno stays silent, considering things carefully. He turns to Tommy, sighing, "Alright. We'll try it for a bit, but if something bad happens you're staying in here, okay?"

The boy vigorously nodded, shocked with himself that it _actually worked._ His plan might actually work! He might make it out of here!

"C'mon, Toms," Techno smiled, nodding in the direction of the door. Tommy sprang up, barely able to contain his excitement that he was getting _out._ The other chuckled, unlocking the door, "It's not that much, damn - don't get your hopes up," he said jokingly. As the door opened, he let Tommy walk through first, keeping up close behind him.

Tommy walked down a cold, stone hallway, shivering once as the sudden chill gave him goosebumps. He pretended not to notice how Techno put an arm around his shoulders after that, now walking beside him.

The hallway had several rooms on either side, but Technoblade pushed them past those and instead into the area the hallway ended at - a small room with wooden walls, a blue couch, and a comfy rug to match. The floor was completely stone, and Tommy couldn't tell if that was because it was intentional or Techno just hadn't gotten around to getting _an actual floor._

But no matter the floor, because this had _not_ been here when Tommy previously tried to escape - this place used to be a labyrinth, a never-ending maze with no exit in sight. Had this been what Techno kept leaving to do? To change the previous prison of his into a more homey one? He _had_ said he knew Tommy would ask eventually.

"Since it's your first time out here, stay with me, yeah? Don't want you getting lost," Techno said, his arm casually dropping from around Tommy's shoulders. As much as he wanted to go explore, find his way out, he really didn't want to lose his progress with Techno. He forced himself to agree.

"C'mon, I gotta go feed the animals," Techno pulled him along, to another area connected to the living room they'd been in.

"Wait, _animals-?_ "

Technoblade did, in fact, own animals. In a medium-sized pen was a small herd of cows. They all mooed loudly at the sight of the two brothers, and Tommy's heart panged at the cows. They reminded him of Henry.

Techno fed the animals some wheat, and Tommy stood in silence in front of the fence, leaning over it a little. One of the cows lifted its head from a small pile of wheat and looked at Tommy, who said, "What are you looking at, bitch." The cow huffed and nudged his hand before returning to its food.

Techno laughed, "Did you just call my cow a bitch?"

"It was looking at me all funny and shit!" Tommy defended himself, pushing off of the fence and throwing his arms out.

"That's just because she's never seen you before, Toms. She's curious," he gave the boy a fond smile, glancing at the cow that 'offended' Tommy. Their conversation fell silent after that, Techno just trying to feed _all_ of his cows, while one kept trying to steal the other's food.

"Do they have names?" Tommy asked quietly, eyeing the cow that greeted him earlier. It was clear to Techno that he was already becoming fond of that one. He shook his head to his brother's question.

"You can name them, if you want. I have the nametags for it," Techno suggested.

_Oh, right,_ Tommy realized once again, _Techno's beyond rich._ He didn't know how he kept forgetting this, the man wore a golden crown for fuck's sake! (Well, he used to. Ever since he brought him here, Tommy hasn't seen it.) Techno proved just how much riches he had all the time - like the 16th, when he showed their small army _plenty_ of sets of fully enchanted netherite armour. But Tommy didn't like to think about the 16th, so he pushed this thought to the back of his mind.

"I think I _will_ name them," Tommy decided aloud. Instead of thinking about war, about the explosions, about... _everything_ that happened that day, he could think about cow names. How nice.

"Alright, I'll go get the nametags. Stay here," Techno demanded with a firm voice that _screamed_ 'do not disobey me', and the boy felt compelled to listen. He's reminded of how _insane_ his brother really was. For a moment, it seemed like the Technoblade he knew was still there. Tommy grew reminiscent, as if he was mourning someone who was not yet dead. (He knew, though, that the Techno he called his brother _was_ dead, lost to insanity. Just like Wilbur, he hadn't died on the 16th, he died in Pogtopia.)

Techno left, leaving Tommy to his own thoughts and the soft huffs and moos from the cows. "So," he started, patting the head of the animal that had stared at him, "how's it like being a cow? Got any - got any girlfriends?" He didn't expect an answer, only really talking to fill the silence.

* * *

_Still no fucking sign of them, or any human life for that matter,_ Dream thought with a low growl. How long had he been traveling, searching for that stupid boy and his bloodshedder brother? Surely it's been over a week! He was getting quite fed up, if he was being honest. _They're probably not even in this direction!_ Dream thought angrily.

He was snapped out of his thoughts as his horse slowed to a stop in front of a thin stream. "Oh, c'mon," he scoffed in a low, irritated voice, "I _know_ you can jump over that." The horse didn't move. The stream wasn't even that _deep,_ Dream could walk through it if he wanted to! So instead of taking that as his horse was stupid, he took it as his horse was just tired. Glancing up in the sky, he noticed the sun would be setting soon.

He climbed off his horse, gently patting her side. The animal took that as her cue to lay down, Dream soon following her. He leaned against her, allowing himself to rest for a moment and stare at the sky. It was a dull blue, with few clouds decorating it. The sun was going to be closing in on the horizon in an hour or two, it was even closer to the birch treeline.

Dream sighed, glancing at his horse, "We should probably settle for the night, yeah?" He earned a quiet huff in response, and turned his head back towards the sky. It had already begun to change colors ever so slightly, the subtlest hues of red and orange becoming present near the horizon.

A sunset. He wondered if Tommy was gazing at the same one. If Tommy was freely wandering about wherever he and Techno ended up, or if he was locked up somewhere like precious treasure. Dream didn't know which option he hoped for, the two brothers are definitely a force to be reckoned with - the only one on the server who doesn't listen to him, and one of the only oneswho's ever been able to beat him in combat.

But if Dream had to save Tommy, had to become the hero of the server, would that really be better than having to take down the two brothers? Surely, kidnapping a child could only be done by someone who 'had head diseases' as Tommy would put it, and Dream felt no one wanted to feel the wrath of an insane Technoblade. 

Dream stood up, ready to prepare for the night. He'd have to be quick, he realized with a small frown as he glanced at the sun's position in the sky; there wasn't much daylight left. He took off his backpack, where he stored most of what he needed for the trip. What he couldn't carry had been put away in the empty spaces in his ender chest. 

As he shrugged off his backpack, however, he caught sight of a small patch of dirt no more than twenty feet (six meters) away from him. Now, he could've just dismissed this as a sheep's doing, but it was clear as day the _land_ had been disturbed, not just the grass. 

Dream's eyebrows furrowed behind his mask, and something settled in his stomach, because _what the fuck, who had been here?_ He had an answer, way back in the deepest parts of his mind, screaming _Technoblade_ _Tommy_ _Technoblade_ _Tommy Techno--_

Dream's movements were slow, as if the evidence of human life would scare away like some wild animal. He took his shovel and a lead out of his bag, tying his horse to a tree, eternally grateful for the fact that mobs only seemed interested in humans. If whatever was under this dirt kept him away from his horse by the time it got dark, she would be safe.

Dream took a shovel to the small patch of dirt. He didn't know what he expected, a small, dead animal of some sort, or some sapling seeds, etc.

What he didn't expect, however, was the firm _thunk_ he heard, signaling he'd hit something wooden.

Digging up the rest of the dirt, Dream uncovered a wooden trapdoor. "Holy shit..." He muttered, "holy _shit!"_

There was no way, surely not, this had to be someone else's hidden, faraway base. There was no way in Nether he just stumbled upon _Technoblade's_ and _Tommy's_ base.

_Be smart about this,_ he told himself, _you could die down there._ Dream placed his ender chest, before checking the coordinates on his communicator and writing them down, putting the piece of paper he'd used in the chest. He picked it back up, then turned to the wooden trapdoor once more.

He carefully opened the trapdoor and dropped down into the hole with a near-silent _thud,_ his feet meeting a rickety ladder. Dream equipped his sword, then began his slow and quiet descend into whoever's base this was.

* * *

It was dark and cold in the room the ladder had led him to. He lit a torch and held it in his left hand, his sword still gripped tight in his other.

The ladder led him to a completely stone room, with three exits. None of the exits had doors, just empty hallways leading to god knows where. There was light at the end of all of them, but one was dimmer than the others. Dream decides to try that way first, not wanting to throw himself right into the middle of the base.

So, he chooses the left entrance. As the lack of a door gave away, the room the short hallway lead to was dimly lit by two lanterns in separate corners. It seemed to be a storage room of some kind, the only other things in the room being rows of chests. Dream opened one, more out of curiosity than anything else, before his mind screamed, _it could be a trap!_ Behind his mask, his eyes widened before they screwed shut, bracing for arrows or a drop to his doom that never came. Once he blinked his eyes open once more, he shut the chest as quietly as possible.

_Maybe it's safe,_ his mind questioned.

_I'd rather not test that,_ he whispered cautiously back.

There were no other exits to the storage room besides the one he came from, so he left, back to the three hallways.

Dream tried the middle hallway next. Gripping his sword tight and snuffing out his torch, he stalked down the stone walkway, careful to stay in the shadows as long as he possibly could. But he'd reached just about the end of the darkness, and examined the room in front of him.

From what he could see, there wasn't much in there, only a few more chests and a wooden chair. God, this place was weird, Dream didn't like it at all. He just wanted to find whoever was down here - if anyone at all - and if it was Technoblade and Tommy, kick their asses for even thinking of teaming up ti go against _him._

(A small part of his brain reminds him Tommy might've not arrived here willingly, that Technoblade might've kidnapped his only alive brother. Dream chooses to ignore this part of his brain.)

* * *

Every room he went through seemed to be a copy of the last, not to mention just the sheer amount of rooms there were. _This is a fucking labyrinth, a nightmare,_ Dream thought. He'd been doing a good job of remembering where he came from, but his memory could only work so well.

Finally, he heard something other than his own quiet footsteps and steady breaths. Dream expected the first sounds he'd hear coming down here would be conversation, or maybe even the all too familiar noises of weapons drawing. But no, the first sound he'd heard down here that _wasn't_ from him, was a collection of moos.

Cows? That wasn't what he was expecting, not at all, but okay. He moved towards the sound silently, but stopped dead in his tracks when he heard two voices.

"You can name them, if you want," _Technoblade_ _._ "I have the nametags for it."

"I think I _will_ name them," _Tommy._

Dream, thankfully, was still in the dark. He peeked over into the room, and sure enough, he saw Techno's long, pink hair, and Tommy's signature red-and-white tee. _I actually fucking did it,_ Dream thought, _I found them._ Their conversation continued briefly, before Techno left the room with a demand to stay right there, one that Dream knew would be obeyed, otherwise Tommy would suffer severe consequences.

And there the blonde boy was, petting the head of a cow and saying, "What's it like being a cow? Got any - got any girlfriends?" God, that kid really just has no filter, does he? And that wasn't even close to the worst attempts at 'small talk' he'd witnessed Tommy try at.

Dream was tempted to call out, but he didn't want to reveal himself just yet. What if Tommy was working with Technoblade? Then Dream would be giving himself away to the enemy, and he couldn't have that. But the boy's appearance told another story, how he looked dirtier and had heavier eye bags than the last time Dream saw him. His eyes themselves were also duller, not the bright blue they once were.

But, then again, all of that could mean either of the reasons for Tommy's disappearance. Dream would just wait for one more sign that Tommy was forced to be here.

Tommy sat next to the pen, his entire body slumping against the fence. His hand slipped through the gap and continued petting the cow next to him. "You remind me a lot of Henry," Tommy muttered, staring at the animal, "too much." His eyes glossed over, which surprised Dream. Out of all the time Tommy's been on the server, Dream doesn't think he's _ever_ seen the boy cry. He's seen Loud Tommy - _God knows he has_ \- bold and brash shouting that never seemed to end, a new scheme always on the tip of his tongue _._ He's seen Happy Tommy, seen his celebratory cheers and wide smile after every victory, no matter how small.

He's yet to see a Sad Tommy, though. The idea of it felt so ... _foreign,_ to him.

(And yet, as he reviewed everything the boy's been through in his head, war, betrayal, even a first-hand experience with _death -_ only at the age of 16, too - Dream supposes a Sad Tommy makes sense.)

"...Is Techno mean to you too? I hope not, you're a very pog cow," Tommy says even quieter, hoping no one but the animal in front of him heard.

That was enough for Dream. It was quite obvious that the boy did _not,_ in fact, come here willingly. _Holy shit..._ Dream realized, _Technoblade_ _kidnapped him._

"Tommy," he whispered, hoping he wouldn't have to raise his voice much more. As far as he knew, Techno was unaware of his presence, and he planned on keeping it that way. The bloodthirsty warrior was already extremely powerful, who knows what he'd be like fueled by insanity?

Alas, the boy didn't seem any wiser of Dream's presence. " _Tommy,_ " he repeated, only slightly louder. 

Tommy's head shot up, and he glanced around the room. He heard him. "What - _no way,_ what? Dr-" he stopped himself, no, he wouldn't allow himself to finish calling out for the familiar voice. There was just _no way, no way someone had found him._ And no way that someone was...

"Dream," Tommy breathed quietly, as the man stepped out of the shadows. "How did you - _what?"_ He was in disbelief, tears building up twice as fast in his dull blue eyes. _Someone had come to save him._

Dream held a finger up to his face - or, well, his smiley mask - silently shushing the boy. "We have to be quiet, c'mon," he whispered, holding an arm out to Tommy.

Tommy, after a moment, shot up and crossed the room, falling into Dream's arms. "Wo _ah, okay--"_ Dream stumbled a little, not expecting the force of a hug. He slowly wrapped one arm around Tommy in return, the other patting his back. "Alright, c'mon," he said, pulling away. 

"We can do all that sappy stuff later, even better you can do it with Tubbo," - Tommy's face erupted in a wide smile at that, ( _god, he missed_ _Tubbo_ _)_ \- "right now, we have to get you out of here."

"Thank you, Dream. I - _thank you,_ " Tommy whispered, rubbing his face. Oh, when did he start crying? Oh well, that didn't really matter now, because now he was _getting out._ He was _escaping_ and he'd be _home_ again, at L'Manberg, he'd see _Tubbo_ _!_ For the first time since he'd awoken in this prison of his, he allowed himself to think of his best friend. He'd see him soon.

"C'mon, this way," Dream whispered, beckoning him with a hand.

They'd only walked a few steps before there was another heavy set of footsteps, this one swift and loud, and before Tommy could turn to the third person, Dream was tackled to the floor. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wOW its been a while since i updated this huh?? im sorry abt that, hit a massive burnout and got really uninspired for this story for quite a bit, honestly thought I'd scrap it a few times!  
> but i didnt, and now we're here :)
> 
> just wanted to take a quick moment to thank everyone, as 2 of my works are super close to hitting 10k hits, and thats just insane to me. thank yall for all the kudos, hits, comments, etc. it really means a lot to me<3  
> ur comments warm my heart, as im sure they do with every writer out there, so go and tell the author of ur favorite fic how much you love their work!


	6. When Hope is Once Again Shattered

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dream and Technoblade fight for Tommy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOW OK UM. most graphic violence ive ever written, this is where the archive warnings come in lmao

"Dream!" Tommy calls out, eyes full of fear as Dream and Technoblade wrestle it out on the ground. He couldn't tell who was winning, they were both struggling to get Dream's sword. He felt frozen as the fight in front of him took place, and no matter how much he hated being a helpless bystander he couldn't bring it in himself to move.

" _Tommy!_ " Dream shouted, pulling a device out of his pocket and throwing it across the room, all while barely holding Techno back. As soon as his communicator was out of his hands he was thrown head-first back into the fight, trying his best to shove Techno off of him.

Tommy's eyes landed on the communicator, hope washing over him once more.

"Tommy! Don't you fucking dare touch that!" Techno yelled, only able to glance at the boy once before he had to focus back on Dream.

Tommy, for the first time since he's arrived here, didn't listen to Technoblade. He shakily held the device in his hands, checking the coordinates. It was harder with the tears blurring his vision, but eventually he found and memorized the numbers quickly, as if his life depended on it ( _and it did_ ).

He began typing the numbers into the general chat, his shaky hands forcing him to go back and fix them multiple times. Tommy couldn't hear or focus on anything around him, not even the life-changing fight happening just a few feet away, he knew he had to focus on getting those numbers out for everyone to see. Then everyone could save him.

He'd gotten halfway through the last number, _the fucking_ last _number,_ before the device was knocked out of his hands and stomped into bits right in front of him. Once again, _he was so close._ Every time he'd almost reached the top, Technoblade was there to shatter his hope and push him all the way back down again.

Techno glared at him, before he turned around and caught Dream's blade with his bare hands. He ignored the pain in his hands and kicked _hard_ in a weak spot in Dream's armour. Techno tackled him once more, figuring he'd take whatever advantage he could get. _This is for Tommy,_ he thought. You bet he was going to fight tooth and claw, pull whatever trick he could (no matter how dirty or dishonorable) if it meant Tommy was _safe,_ with him.

"Stay the _fuck_ away from him," Techno threatened lowly, getting the high ground as the enchanted sword was in his hands. Right before he could strike, however, Dream kneed him in the stomach as hard as he could, immediately reaching for the sword when Techno's grip loosened. He, however, lost the sword again as Techno's firm hand came down and pinned his wrist to the floor, effectively knocking the weapon out of his hands and almost across the room.

Dream growled, sick of this. He was in _full goddamn_ _netherite_ _,_ and all Techno had were his fists. Sure, he was fuelled by insanity and Dream was almost positive he could smell the lurking scent of magic on the other, but it shouldn't be that hard to defeat him! He punched Techno square across the face, flipping them over so Dream was pinning him to the floor instead. _I've had enough of this, I just want Tommy to be ~~(in debt to me)~~ safe, _Dream thought, his hands clasping around Techno's throat.

_Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck,_ Techno was panicking. One hand was on Dream's wrist, a strong grip trying to pry away his hand. It was almost working, too. Techno's other hand was desperately outstretched for Dream's sword, which seemed just _barely_ out of reach.

Tommy noticed this, and _finally,_ his legs started working again. He rushed over to the sword, shouting, "Dream! Watch ou-"

Techno grabbed the sword, and before Dream could react he plunged it into the other's neck. Tommy screamed, and _god,_ no matter how many times he's witnessed it, how many times he's experienced it himself, he'd never take death lightly. Dream almost immediately went limp, coughing up his own blood. He was dead in a matter of seconds, and if his communicator hadn't been destroyed, a ping would've been heard from it. It would've said: "Dream was slain by Technoblade using _[_ _Nightmare]."_

Dream was laying still on the cold, stone floor, blood quickly pooling around him. That wouldn't satisfy Technoblade, the Blood God himself, oh no. He kneeled so he was looking down on the corpse, sword held tightly in both hands, and plunged the weapon into him, over and over and over.

_BLOOD!_ The voices screamed, _HE WANTED TO HURT TOMMY. HE WAS GOING TO TAKE HIM AWAY._

And, if the voices demanded blood, who was Techno to do anything but comply? Nether, he wanted it too.

"Techno, stop!" Tommy sobbed, mortified by the scene in front of him, "Stop it! He's dead!" Once again, the boy _hated_ being a helpless bystander, but this time around he couldn't do anything not because his body wasn't cooperating, but for his own safety. Techno wasn't listening to a word he said, he didn't even acknowledge he heard anything. He was in a bloodlust, and Tommy, with only one life left, wasn't going to interfere.

Techno continued the overkill until his adrenaline wore off. His chest heaving, he pulled the sword out one last time. There was more metallic red than the glowing purple of enchanted netherite. He noticed how Dream's body had already started disappearing, the respawning process had started.

The voices quieted, satisfied with his work. As they faded, however, he became increasingly aware of loud, heartbreaking sobs behind him. The voices didn't raise in volume once more, but their words changed from _kill, blood, blood for the blood god,_ to _hurt, hurting, help._ "Tommy," he called, turning to the boy.

Tommy met his eyes with a fearful look, one that broke Techno's heart. _Dream did this,_ the voices collectively muttered, _Tommy was scared to leave. He's happy here._ Yes, that was it, Techno decided. He chose to ignore how, when he pulled Tommy in for a hug, the boy sobbed harder and struggled against him. He ignored this, he just held his brother tighter. (Not just because Tommy was trying to escape it.)

"Technoblade, you're insane," Tommy cried, giving up on struggling. Techno smelled strongly of blood and magic, and his arms were around Tommy, and _oh god there was Dream's blood all over Techno's_ _clothes, it was getting on his too_ \- he couldn't get the image of Dream falling to the ground out of his mind. Goddamnit, he had armour! And a sword! How did he lose?! It seemed the entire world was hellbent on keeping Tommy in here!

Techno chose to ignore what Tommy had said. (He knew. He knew he was insane, but look how Wilbur turned out, there was no going back or fixing this.) "He can't get to you anymore, Toms," he said instead, and if Tommy cries harder because _god, that was what he wanted, for Dream to reach him_ \- Techno doesn't acknowledge it.

"This is so twisted. So fucking - so fucking twisted," Tommy muttered, his voice wobbly and shaking. He was so close, _so goddamn close._ Again.

Why did he keep losing?

* * *

Tommy didn't sleep that nigh-da- _fuck,_ he didn't sleep when Techno dragged him into bed. Especially since the man insisted with staying with him for the night. All he could smell was Dream's blood it was still strong and apparent on Technoblade's entire being. And if there was any light in the room, he'd still be able to see the faded red stains on Techno's white dress shirt, like splattered paint on an otherwise blank canvas. And whenever he closed his eyes he was back at the murder scene.

It was safe to say he didn't sleep that... night? day? _goddamnit_ _,_ he just didn't sleep. There. Tommy really wished Techno would get him a goddamn clock.

Normally, he wouldn't have eaten either. He usually didn't after witnessing something like that. Tommy realizes how fucked up it is that he used the word _usually._ He's seen too much shit, Techno was right on that. (God, what the fuck? Why was he _agreeing_ with his captor? _No,_ he told himself, _I'm fine. I haven't seen too much._ )

Normally, he wouldn't have eaten. Though, Tommy supposed _nothing_ about his situation was normal. So when Technoblade brought him a plate of steak, hours after he'd dragged him into bed - _he really hoped it wasn't the second Henry (but maybe he shouldn't. Look where his hope has gotten him)_ \- he ate it without problem, in silence. He wasn't going to be fucking _spoon-fed_ again, he'd rather die. His time here was already so shitty, he didn't want to lose even more of his dignity on top of that. 

After finishing his food, he asked, "Am I allowed back out?" Even if he knew the answer, he could have some hope.

"No," Techno rejected. Tommy really needed to stop having hope. 

Seeing the boy's demeanor drop, he further explained, "I'm sorry, bubs, but you know what happened yesterday-" Tommy shivered "-you're safe in here. I don't want you hurt." Tommy wanted to yell at him, tell him _no, I don't need your fucking protection, I'm a Big Man and I can take care of myself._ He wanted to lash out at Techno, but knew it was better for him if he didn't. Techno said he didn't want Tommy hurt, but what if the boy caused him to go into another bloodlust? Tommy didn't know what triggered him to do so, and wasn't too keen on finding out.

"...He was going to take you away, and we can't have that, can we?" Techno added on, seeing Tommy's expression only saddened, but it didn't help

_Goddamnit_ _! That's what I wanted!_ Tommy's head screamed, but he stayed silent.

Techno sighed, "I have to feed the cows, I'll be right back, Toms." He left, locking the door with a soft _click._

Tommy was alone, again. And all he could think of was how utterly, undeniably, _fucked_ he was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tommy watching techno kill his one chance of escaping: 👁👄👁
> 
> double chap tonight bois!! not only bc i felt guilty for not updating for so long, but also bc i wouldve felt bad for leavin yall on a cliffhanger on top of that lmao


	7. A Painful Awakening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tubbo notices something off about one of his cabinet members, and temporary Vice President. 
> 
> Dream wakes up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ik not much happens this chap but i swear theres more in the next lmao
> 
> btw!! tommy and ranboo didnt burn down georges house, but ranboos still on the server

Tubbo had noticed something, in the week that Dream had been gone. This suspicion of his was small, at first, more of a traitorous and intrusive thought than anything else. Just his mind, permanently paranoid and observing from war, blowing things out of proportion as always.

But, as time progressed, he couldn't deny that this observation of his only grew, and grew, and grew. What was it, you ask?

Quackity. The man's behaviour had been... off, recently, to say the least. It started with small, sometimes unnoticeable gestures towards Tubbo, like staying closer to him than anyone else or checking up on him more frequently. Once the president saw this, he didn't think much of it. He surely didn't mention it to Quackity, otherwise the other might've felt embarrassed and stopped. It wasn't anything to talk about anyways. At least, not at that point.

But this quickly developed into something stronger. Quackity was now with him almost at all times and he would glare at anyone conversing with Tubbo. On one particular day, he'd snapped at Fundy when the man playfully punched Tubbo's arm. In all reality, he'd been fighting the urge to punch Fundy back, but the president didn't know this.

Another thing he didn't know, was why Quackity had become so protective all of a sudden. The man had never really been _that_ friendly with Tubbo, so he truly couldn't comprehend what could've caused this sudden change. _Oh well,_ Tubbo thought, _no harm done. It's not a big deal._

Tubbo got a ping from his communicator, as did Quackity, who was sat across the office. They both scrambled for their devices - or, Tubbo did, at least. Quackity was slower in reaching for his communicator - and opened whatever the public message was.

Dream was slain by Technoblade using [ _Nightmare_ ].

Tubbo dropped his device onto the spruce table in front of him. " _What?_ " He asked, to no one in particular. This meant so many things. This meant Dream knew where Technoblade was, and hopefully by extension, Tommy. And he might even know why Tommy disappeared in the first place.

"Where do you think he'd respawn?" Quackity asks, a cold and calculated expression on his face. He's had that mask on a lot recently, Tubbo notices.

"I don't know, no one knows where his base is," Tubbo absentmindedly toyed with the idea that Dream might not have a base to begin with. If this were any normal day, he'd crack a joke about it and laugh. But this wasn't a normal day. Tommy was gone and Dream had died, and Quackity's been acting stranger and stranger. This is anything but a normal day.

"Our best bet is the server's spawn point, then," Quackity said, standing up, Tubbo quickly following. "I'll get Ranboo and Fundy," the man said before running off to find the other two cabinet members.

* * *

Dream woke up, slowly.

The first thing he noticed was how goddamn _bright_ it was. If he didn't know any better, he'd think he was in a heaven of some sorts. All he could see was white. As soon as the blinding light met his unsuspecting eyes he winced and tried his best to draw back, but something below him was stopping him from doing so.

The second thing he registered was that he was on the ground. Below his head, he could feel soft, dew-covered grass, and even further below that, compact dirt. It felt nice, and for a moment he could pretend he was laying in a peaceful field (which he supposed he was, aside from the pain flowing from everywhere on his body. That was the third thing he noticed when he woke up.)

"Oh," a foggy voice muttered, and Dream was not all that awake yet so he couldn't quite place it, "Oh! He's - He respawned! Guys!" The sounds of different pairs of footsteps approached, something that normally would alert Dream, but didn't. They were much clearer than whoever spoke previously. Maybe he would recognize whoever spoke next. 

"Oh thank god-" yes, that was Tubbo, "-I didn't know where else he'd respawn," the president huffed, relieved.

"Dream? You with us yet?" Another voice asked, this one recognizable as Fundy. The blinding lights around him seemed to dim, allowing him to focus on his surroundings. He was right in the middle of the server's spawn point, the only visible sign of civilization being the fragile wooden border around it.

Dream tried opening his mouth to respond, only to shut it once more when no words came out. His throat felt raspy and dry, and more than anywhere else, _hurt._ Why did his neck hurt so much? He slowly raised a hand to it, gently massaging it as he racked his mind to remember the source of his pain.

What does he remember? He clearly remembers riding his horse, but he didn't know _why._ His mind goes foggy as he tries to push past that to remember something else, but he can't.

"We have to get him to the infirmary," Tubbo said, eyeing him before turning back to the others. _Oh,_ _Quackity_ _and_ _Ranboo_ _are here,_ Dream realized.

He tried communicating again, and he was met with a little more success than before because he'd produced a painful, low groan that clawed at his throat. It definitely wasn't coherent words, but it was progress.

"Here, Fundy, help me-" Quackity called, and a moment later Dream was being lifted up by two sets of hands. His entire body screamed in protest, and he let out another low grunt of pain. His two arms were put around two different sets of shoulders, and Quackity asked him quietly, "You think you can walk a bit? It's pretty far."

Dream nodded. "Yeah, yeah," he suppressed another grunt of pain, "I'm fine."

"If not, I'm sure Ranboo can carry you," Fundy offered, just as quiet, head jerking in the said hybrid's direction. Dream only shook his head, he was _fine._ He didn't need someone to carry him, like a damsel in distress.

With his denying of Fundy's offer, they started the slow trudge to L'Manberg's infirmary.

* * *

"Do you remember anything?" Ranboo asked, fiddling with his suit sleeves as he nervously awaited an answer from Dream. It was clear he was asking specifically about the missing boy and his brother.

"He probably won't, not right now, at least," Quackity commented, leaning on a nearly empty table - save for a few bandages and a single healing potion - that was located behind him.

"Right, sorry - I don't know how any of this works..." The other replied, referencing to death. That was right, Ranboo was brand new to the server, he hadn't had the chance to experience all of the death and bloodshed yet.

"It's alright, you're just worried about Tommy," Tubbo reassured, "we all are."

Wait.

_Tommy._

Memories of the boy flooded Dream's mind, but one stood out in particular. A recent one, full of violence and pain and _screaming_ and _blood_ and oh my god, there was so much blood. Even as the memory of him dying faded away, ending with his vision going black, the sight of his own blood splattered across the floor was ingrained in his mind. He couldn't escape the sounds of Tommy's terrified screaming as he died to the hands of Technoblade.

Oh god, Technoblade.

Dream coughed, alerting the others. "Tommy-" he rasped out, "he - he's - Techno's kidnapped him." His voice was quiet and coarse, which he now remembered was from his own blade sticking itself right in his neck. He raised a hand to feel where he'd been stricken, the side of his neck now sporting a rough scar.

Deadly silence filled the room, and Dream wasn't sure if the others heard him - he'd been quiet, after all - so he opened his mouth to repeat himself, but was interrupted by the president.

"... _What?_ " Tubbo said, "Oh my god." He put his face in his hands, desperately trying to hold back tears. Everyone knew there was a possibility of this happening, but now that he was receiving the news, it just seemed so surreal. He didn't want to believe it. He'd rather believe that Tommy went off on his own with Techno, even if that meant they'd destroy L'Manberg with no remorse. Even if it meant Tommy would explicitly betray him. Tubbo couldn't even begin to imagine what Tommy has been dealing with for close to two weeks now.

A hand was placed on his shoulder, and since it wasn't yanked away only moments later, Tubbo knew it was Quackity. "Hey, it's okay. We'll get him back," he reassured, whispering in a sweet and steady tone to the president.

Tubbo sniffled, his jaw clenching, "We fucking better." He wouldn't let the tears fall. Not in front of his entire cabinet, especially not in front of Dream. He was seeing red right now, he wanted to put an axe right through Technoblade's skull. Inside his head, he was going over a dozen different strategies to kill Techno and get Tommy back.

He felt Quackity hesitantly pull his hand away, and looked back up. The man whispered something to Ranboo, who glanced at the president and nodded subtly. If Tubbo hadn't been trained by the harsh conditions of war, he wouldn't have noticed the gesture.

Ranboo turned to him. "It's probably best if we let him rest," he suggested quietly, and Tubbo nodded. He didn't know why Quackity had to whisper that to the hybrid, but it didn't really matter all that much. 

"Yeah, you're probably right. Plus, we should be planning to attack," he added, giving Dream one more glance before leaving the infirmary with Ranboo.

Fundy went to leave, but hesitated upon seeing that Quackity didn't budge. "You coming, Big Q?" He asked, but the other only waved him away dismissively, not even sparing him a glance. "Damn, okay," he muttered under his breath, only loud enough for him to hear, then left the infirmary, quickly catching up with the rest of the cabinet.

Quackity made sure Fundy was out of hearing distance, even for his heightened hybrid senses. He then turned to Dream, staring right at the man's white mask. "So, Dream," he started, "you think you'll be able to tell us how to get to Techno's?" 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> quackity: dream, i just wanna talk *loads shotgun* i just wanna talk


	8. A Visitor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Quackity and Dream continue their conversation. After, the Vice President pays someone a visit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> haha guess who disappeared for another month??  
> this guy 👍😎👍
> 
> imagine being a slow writer.... *sweats nervously*

"I don't know..." Dream answered truthfully, "I kinda, y'know, _died._ You of all people should know that my memory is a little fucked right now." He tried not to think of the small piece of paper in his ender chest. Something was... _off_ about Quackity, and by all means they didn't have a trusting relationship going. He wasn't just going to hand him the only thing that could direct him back to Techno's base.

Quackity nodded, understanding. Dream was right, he did know the man's memory wouldn't be the greatest. Nether, Quackity barely remembered the entire festival after he'd been killed in the crossfire of it. He had to be painfully reminded of what had happened when Tommy lead him to Pogtopia, and he'd witnessed the fresh burn scars on the President's former right-hand man. Needless to say, he'd apologized a lot that day.

He understood Dream's forgetfulness, and any other day he'd accept it and leave the man to rest. However, this was not any other day, and Quackity did not leave.

"I understand, Dream, but surely..." He stepped closer, leaning his weight over the foot of the bed, "you must have _something_ that can tell my cabinet where to look. You heard Tubbo, he's probably making plans as we speak."

"I don't have anything on me. I _died,_ remember? Lost all my shit?" Dream reminded in a sarcastic tone, but all the other man did was smile.

"Well, not _everything,"_ he stood upright once more, digging an ender chest out of his inventory and placing it right next to the bed. He almost barked out a laugh when Dream went still.

"I don't have anything," Dream still denied, "not anything of use, anyways." This time, Quackity did let out a laugh. A small, dark chuckle escapes his lips, and they were both a little surprised with how much he sounded like Wilbur. And not the amnesiac ghost, either.

"I think we both know you're bullshitting me right now, Dream. You're smarter than that, to not have any information on you," Quackity crossed his arms. "You're too smart for that," he repeated quietly, "so, what is it? What do you have?" He gestured towards the blue and green ender chest with an open hand.

" _I don't have anything,"_ Dream repeated like a broken record, "And even if I did, why would I give it to _you?"_

Quackity's small, twisted smile dropped and he shook his head in exasperation. "You're always so fucking stubborn," he muttered, mainly to himself. _Didn't want to have to do it this way,_ Quackity thought, before swiftly taking a small dagger out of his back pocket and moving so he was intimidatingly close to Dream's masked face, the blade pressed up against his bandaged neck. He smiled at the sound of Dream's breath catching in his throat. "You're going to give whatever you have to me, _Dream,_ because I'll be sure to make a few more scars exactly like that one if you don't," he threatened, voice firm and dark, punctuating his point by pressing the knife a bit closer to Dream's scar. "You wouldn't die for a simple piece of information, would you?"

And as Quackity stared at Dream's porcelain mask, the crude smile stared right back. The air was heavy and full of a threat that they both knew ]wasn't empty.

Without a word, Dream reached into the ender chest placed beside the bed. Quackity pulled back a little, just enough for the man to have easy access to the magical chest, while still having the cold dagger pressed against his neck.

After a moment's hesitation, Dream pulled out a small piece of paper, one torn at the edges like it was ripped from a book. Silently, he held the paper out to Quackity, who snatched it with eager hands. A quiet, successful laugh escaped him as he read the note. That was so _easy._ He'd expected more of a fight out of the server's moderator.

"That's where his base is," Dream said simply, his hand reaching up to touch where the other's blade once was.

Quackity hummed, safely stashing the paper away in a jacket pocket. "Thank you, Dream," he smiled, dark and sinister. "I trust these aren't fake," he said, " _but,_ if they are..." He tapped the blade of his knife, a silent threat to the other man. Dream nodded in understanding, and the Vice could tell he was slipping into his cold and stoic mask of a personality.

Quackity picked up his ender chest, storing it away in his inventory. "I'll let you rest," he smiled, "Thanks again, Dream." With that he left the masked man alone, the cold air biting at him as he stepped outside. He scanned around him cautiously, as to make sure no other L'Manbergians were watching. Once he was sure he wouldn't be followed or watched, he snuck out of the country and instead headed straight for the public Nether portal.

He stepped through, purple swirls of magic momentarily clouding his vision. He felt lightheaded - a sign that he'd travelled successfully - and stepped out of the portal, stopping to let the dizziness pass. He'd never quite liked the Nether - too hot, too deadly, no thank you - thus, he hasn't gotten used to the effects of travelling to the hellscape yet.

No matter, however, as the dizziness passed after a few moments. Ender pearl in hand, he stepped out of the Nether Hub and climbed up a staircase, one that directly led to the hellish-red roof. He teleported through - without faltering, mind you, as he _had_ gotten used to pearling places. He needed to, if he were to ever survive a war.

Quackity pulled out his communicator in one hand, and the small paper note in the other. He glanced between the two sets of coordinates, doing the math in his head, and realized. Damn, Techno's base was _far._

As Quackity did the calculations, he conducted that he'd need to travel for an entire day, not including resting points. He wished he could've brought a horse, but, well - no one's exactly figured out how to get mobs on the Nether's roof, unless there were two separate portals up there (and Quackity didn't necessarily _have_ a horse, either, but that was besides the point.)

With a glint of determination in his eyes, he set off, his only companion being the bedrock beneath his feet and the hellishly blood-red sky. (And, well, it really wasn't a sky, either. More of a nothingness.)

* * *

A day has passed, and Quackity has built another portal and gone back to the Overworld. To his right, a horse was tied to a tree, and he recognized it as Dream's. Quackity couldn't help but smile a little, knowing that meant he'd been given the correct coordinates. He went up to the horse and attempted to pet along its nose but the animal stepped back and swerved out of his touch, a small huff escaping its lips.

"Chill out, man," he furrowed his eyebrows, slowly approaching the horse once more. "You've been here for a few days, yeah? I'll take you back, man," he tried reassuring the horse, even if it couldn't understand a word he was saying. Yet, the animal _did_ seem to relax a bit, allowing Quackity to step forward and pet the space between its eyes. "I'll come back for you, yeah?" He patted its head - which, not something you usually do with a horse - before leaving the animal alone for the time being, and instead searching for the entrance. It must've been underground, so there must be... There! A disturbed patch of dirt, one that clearly had been dug up instead of just chewed on by some sheep.

Quackity knelt down in front of it, immediately seeing an oak trapdoor. "Holy shit, okay. This is it," he whispered to himself, trying to get himself ready to face _the_ Technoblade. He'd taken precautions to make sure the warrior didn't see him as a threat, because if he did, he'd be dead within seconds. He had no weapons or potions on him, in fact, the only armour he was wearing was a chestplate made of netherite. 

_Okay. All I need to do is not immediately die and convince a madman I'm no threat. This'll be fun,_ Quackity thought, before lifting the trapdoor and descending into Techno's base.

* * *

"Techno?" Quackity called once he'd reached the bottom of the ladder. Hopefully the warrior had heard him, because sneaking up on Technoblade of all people surely wouldn't do him any good. Quackity wanted to ensure the other knew he was here in a time of peace.

He stepped into a simple, well-lit room, and was immediately met with a glistening sword to the throat. Rude way to treat a guest, but whatever. "Woah, woah, Techno-"

" _What are you doing here,"_ the piglin hybrid demands, his voice dark and threatening. His eyes almost seemed to glow with a raging bloodlust.

Quackity raises both his hands in defense. "I'm not here to hurt Tommy, alright? I won't touch him, won't even come near him," he reassured, continuing when Techno seemed to relax just a little. "I'm just here to talk. For some advice, if you will."

"And why wouldn't you contact me with the communicators, if you're just here to talk?" Techno said accusingly, the rage and urge to protect dying down in his eyes. 

"You didn't answer?" Quackity replied dumbly, giving the other a small, nervous smile. Maybe - _just maybe_ \- it was a bad idea to go visit an insane, blood-thirsty warrior that could kill him with just one hand.

"...Right." Techno scanned the other man over, focusing on how the only armour Quackity had on was a gleaming netherite chestplate. Not only that, but he also didn't appear to have any weapons on him. Knowing Quackity was practically defenseless - especially against Techno - he lowered the sword. It was still gripped tight in his hands, and the other didn't think Techno would let go anytime soon. "What did you want to talk about?"

At that, Quackity let a small smile form on his lips, and he told Techno _everything._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> quackity: coords plz :))  
> dream: no  
> quackity: *knife*  
> dream: goddamnit, not again!
> 
> we're reaching the end of the book!! hopefully, the last 2 chaps will be long, or at least longer than the norm :)


End file.
